Below are tables showing the ranking for the coldest average winter.
The climatological winter includes December, January, and February

Duluth, MN:
Coldest Average Winter Temperature

Winter

Average Temp

1. 1874-1875 2. 2013-20143. 1884-1885

3.7° F3.9° F 4.1° F

International Falls:
Coldest Average Winter Temperature

Winter

Average Temp

1. 1978 - 1979 2. 2013 - 2014 3. 1958 - 1959

-2.9° F-2.7° F
-0.9° F

International Falls, MN set a record low temp of -36° F Thursday morning, February 27th. This breaks the old record of -30° F set in 1962.

Duluth, MN set a record cool high temperature of -3° F Thursday afternoon, February 27th. This breaks the old record of 0° set in 1962.

Below is a map of low temperatures this morning across the United States displaying the surge of cold air which is progressing eastward.

Climate Facts About this Winter:

Including February 28th, 2014

The Duluth, MN Airport has experienced low temperatures below zero on 65 days since December 1, 2013. The previous record was 59 days with below zero readings set during the winters of 1958-1959, 1916-1917 as well as the winter of 1874-1875.

The International Falls, MN Airport has experienced low temperatures below zero on 70 days since December 1, 2013. This ties the previous record set during the winter of 1977-1978.

February 11th marked the 23rd consecutive day with a temperature below zero at Duluth. This set a new record, breaking the previous streak of 22 days set in 1936 as well as 1963.

The arctic cold has been persistent, but not record-setting. The Duluth Aiport has only set one daily temperature record, yesterday for a record cool high temperature.

Factoid:The winter of 1935-1936 was also very cold across the region. January 13th of 1936 is the daily record low temperature at Duluth, an impressive reading of -35° F. Duluth also saw a 22 day stretch of below zero readings from Jan 17th - Feb 7th in 1936. Interestingly, the summer that followed included multiple dates with temperatures soaring over 100° F at Duluth, MN. A temperature of 106° F, Duluth's warmest temperature ever recorded, was set on July 13th 1936.

.THE 2013-2014 WINTER SEASON WAS MUCH COLDER AND WETTER THAN NORMAL
AT DULUTH MN...

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE WINTER SEASON WAS 3.9 DEGREES WHICH
WAS 9.4 DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL OF 13.3 DEGREES. THIS WAS THE 2ND
COLDEST METEOROLOGICAL WINTER ON RECORD AT DULUTH. 5.73 INCHES OF
PRECIPITATION WAS REPORTED FOR THE SEASON WHICH WAS 2.75 INCHES
ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 2.98 INCHES. THIS WAS THE 8TH WETTEST WINTER
SEASON ON RECORD. 78.8 INCHES OF SNOW FELL IN THE WINTER SEASON
WHICH WAS 29.3 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 49.5 INCHES RANKING THIS
AS THE 6TH SNOWIEST WINTER SEASON ON RECORD. 83.8 INCHES OF SNOW
FELL FROM JULY 1ST WHICH IS 18.2 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 65.6
INCHES. THIS RANKS AS THE 11TH SNOWIEST SNOW SEASON TO DATE AT
DULUTH.

.THE 2013-2014 WINTER SEASON WAS MUCH COLDER AND WETTER THAN NORMAL
AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS MN...

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE WINTER SEASON WAS 2.7 DEGREES BELOW
ZERO WHICH IS 10.8 DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL OF 8.1 DEGREES. THIS WAS
THE 2ND COLDEST METEOROLOGICAL WINTER ON RECORD AT INTERNATIONAL
FALLS. 3.19 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED FOR THE SEASON
WHICH IS 1.19 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 2.00 INCHES. THIS RANKS AS
THE 15TH WETTEST WINTER SEASON ON RECORD. 65.5 INCHES OF SNOW FELL
FOR THE WINTER SEASON WHICH IS 24.7 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 40.8
INCHES. THIS WAS THE 5TH SNOWIEST WINTER SEASON ON RECORD AT
INTERNATIONAL FALLS. 76.4 INCHES OF SNOW FELL SINCE JULY 1ST WHICH
IS 19.6 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 56.8 INCHES MAKING THIS THE 9TH
SNOWIEST SNOW SEASON TO DATE.